'Pouring gasoline on themselves': CNN panel crushes GOP 'ineptitude' in speaker fight
October 16, 2023
House Republicans were roundly roasted on a Monday CNN panel for their failure to resolve the speakership crisis following the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), with McCarthy's right-hand man Steve Scalise (R-LA) withdrawing from consideration just a day after being nominated due to dissent in the ranks, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) plowing ahead with a planned floor vote despite seeming to have even less support than Scalise did.
Republican strategist Doug Heye told anchors Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly he was just as much in the dark on what was going to happen as anyone else.
"I don't know how helpful I can be," said Heye. "Every Republican member I talk to gives me a different answer or a lack of an answer. They don't know what's going to happen, not just only over the next week, but over the next 24 to 36 hours. Obviously, Jim Jordan is pushing for a floor vote. That does make some sense, but it's not clear that he's going to get there."
"I can tell you from having worked in House leadership back in 2012 through 2014, when we would have things like, defund this and let's shut down this, we would refer to those as 'touch-the-stove' moments," Heye continued.
In other words, he added, "Republican members needed to touch the stove and remember that they'll get burned if they touch the stove that's hot. The reality is they've been leaning on the stove for a long time and haven't got burned. At this point, they want to take over the oven and the entire kitchen, and it's not clear if they'll be able to do so, yet."
"They're literally pouring gasoline on themselves and lighting themselves on fire at this point and don't seem to be dissuaded by the burns at all," agreed Mattingly.
Watch the video below or at the link here.
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